Toyah to open New Mills Festival

Opening this year’s New Mills Festival with a bang, is the colourful, dynamic and unique Toyah Willcox who will be taking to the stage with her band at New Mills Art Theatre on September 12.

From punk princess to TV personality, Toyah is a uniquely gifted performer.

Charismatic, outspoken and impossible to categorise, she is one of Britain’s iconic household names – an award-winning rock legend as well as a much-loved actress and composer.

In a career spanning 30 years Toyah has had 13 top 40 singles, recorded 20 albums, written two books, appeared in more than 40 stage plays, made ten feature films and presented such diverse television programmes as The Good Sex Guide Late, Watchdog and Songs Of Praise.

At New Mills Toyah will be belting out her old hits including the iconic singles It’s A Mystery, I Want To Be Free and Thunder In The Mountains, as well as newer material, in her famous high-energy style.

During the two-week festival artists from across the region turn the town into one huge gallery by displaying their work in unusual places and spaces, pop-up venues and shop windows.

If you have never been to New Mills then this is the time to go, as it is a really tremendous display. There will be work by, among many others, Karl Sinfield, Clare Allan, Lucy Gell, Paul Gent, Joanne Reay, Lynne McPeake, Ruth Marsden and Andrea Joseph.

During the Art Trail Big Weekend from September 25-27 there will also be other exhibitions in various venues include the Spring Bank Arts Centre, The Heritage Centre, The Gallery and The Studios. For a preview of what is on offer in the town scan watch a great video shot in the town by Derbyshire film maker Gavin Repton with backing music by the Gally Canters from New Mills.